Meltblown nonwoven fibrous webs are used for a variety of purposes including filtration (e.g., flat web and pleated filters), insulation, padding and textile substitutes. References relating to meltblown nonwoven fibrous webs include U.S. Pat. No. 3,959,421 (Weber et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,259 (McAmish et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,068 (Milligan et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,699 (Meyer et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,559 (Shambaugh), U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,048 (Haynes et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,278 (Allen et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,749 (Lau et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,948 (Chenoweth) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,811,178 (Adam et al.). References relating to pleated filters include U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,950 (Thompson), U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,479 (Bachinski), U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,735 (Midkiff et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,645 (Murphy, Jr.) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,521,011 B1 (Sundet et al. '011), and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. US 2003/0089090 A1 (Sundet et al. '090) and US 2003/0089091 A1 (Sundet et al. '091).